Turnbull Government To Crack Down On Vandalism Of Captain Cook Statues

Offenders could face jail time.

The Turnbull Government will crack down on the vandalism of historic statues, with those caught defacing monuments of Captain James Cook set to face up to seven years in jail.

The plan, revealed by NewsCorp Australia on Sunday, would see statues over 100-years-old of the British explorer placed on the National Heritage List. That would mean they would be safeguarded under the heritage scheme's strict laws.

The federal government has reportedly asked the Heritage Council to look at placing a number of Captain Cook statues on the register to discourage attacks on the historic monuments.

"When he fell out with his henchmen he didn't just execute them, they were removed from all official photographs – they became non-persons, banished not just from life's mortal coil but from memory and history itself."

The vandalism of the Sydney statues has reignited discussion about how to deal with Australia's complex colonial past and Indigenous history.